planning a burma trip in dec...any pointers/recommendations etc much appreciated. planning on: yangon, bago, yangon, mandalay, bagan, inle lake, kyathiako(teh golden rock) if time permits then kalaw....nothing is decided yet so any help esp with places to stay much appreciated

Until someone chimes in with their experiences, here's a few posts on the boards that may help.

* Maybe Myanmar
* Burma
* Burma
* 2 Days in Yangon
* Myanmar

thnx a ton hydro!

You've pretty much got the country covered with what you have planned. I did pretty much the same trip back in 2001. My favorite spots were Bagan and Inle Lake. Mandalay was OK, but nothing special (in my opinion). Yangon is interesting, but a little overwhelming like many large cities can be.

Burma/Myanmar reminds me a bit of Bangladesh. They obviously don't see many Western tourists, so the people are very curious to meet you and talk with you. The interaction with the people was the highlight of the trip for me. They are very kind and generous, even after all they have been through.

The only downside of the trip for me was the food. Most of the time, you have only two options -- curry or chinese food. Don't get me wrong -- the food is good, but it just gets a little tiring after 3 weeks or so having the same thing every day. There are some exceptions -- the river prawns I had in Bagan were great, and you do have a bit more variety in Yangon (including some good indian food). Another thing -- if you like sweets, especially chocolate, you'd better bring some with you. There wasn't a chocolate bar to be found the whole time I was there! Maybe things have changed since then. It has been a few years.

Have a great trip. I'm sure you'll enjoy the experience. It is quite a unique country with wonderful people.

Pelke